de pianny, I allus happy,
'cause I lub to see folks come. Us hab chicken and all kinds of good
things. De preacher, he was big, jolly man, he come to de house 'bout
one Sunday in every month. Sometime dey brung lil' white chillen to
dinner. Den us play

'Rabbit, rabbit.
Jump fru' de crack.'

and

'Kitty, kitty,
In de corner,
Meow, meow,
Run, kitty, run.'

"De ole marster pick me out a lil', gentle hoss named Julie and dat was
my very own hoss. It was jus' a common lil' hoss. I uster sneak sugar
out de barrel to feed Julie. Dey had a big smokehouse on de farm where
dey kep' all kin's of good things like sugar and sich. Dey had fruits of
all kin's put up.

"Every mornin' de ole mistus took out de big Bible and hab prayer
meetin' for jus' us three. Us never learn read much, tho' she try teach
me some. When I's 'bout nine year ole she buy me a purty white dress
and took me to jine de church. She was a little, white-hair' woman, what
never los' her temper 'bout nothin'. She use' to let me bump on her
pianny and didn' say nothin'. She couldn' play de pianny but she kinder
hope maybe I could, but I never did learn how.

"When freedom come my mudder and me pay no 'tention to it. Us stay right
on de place. Purty soon my mudder die and I jus' took up her shoes. One
day I's makin' a bonfire in de yard and ketch my dress on fire. De whol
side of my lef' leg mos' bu'n off. Mistus was so lil' she couldn' lif'
me but she fin'ly git me to bed. Dere I stay for long, long time, and
she wait on me han' and feet. She make linseed poultice and kep' de bu'n
grease good. Mos' time she leave all de wo'k stan' in de middle of de
floor and read de Bible and pray for me to git heal up and not suffer.
She cry right 'long with me when I cry, 'cause I hurt so.

"When I's 16 year ole I want to hab courtin'. Mistus 'low me to hab de
boy come right to de big house to see me. He come two mile every Sunday
and us go to Lugene Baptist church. Den she hav nice Sunday dinner for
both us. She let me go to ice cream supper, too. Dey didn' hab no
freezer den, jus' a big pan in some ice. De boys and girls took tu'ns
stirrin' de cream. It never git real ha'd but stay kinder slushy. Dey
serve cake. Us hav pie supper, too. Whoever git de girl's pie eat it
with her.

"My ole mistus she pay me money right 'long after freedom but I too
close to spen' any. Den when I 'cide to marry Bob Thomas, she he'p me
fix a hope ches'. I buys goods for sh